YouTube adds ticket links in the UK and Ireland

YouTube has just added ticket listings to its platform in the UK and
Ireland via partnerships with Ticketmaster, See Tickets and Eventbrite
in order, it says, to make “music more accessible to fans” and to bring
“more revenue to artists on the platform”.

The Google company has stuck ticket links right next to musical videos on its US site ever since 2017
in what cynics (OK, us) dubbed at the time as a “stop moaning about
your royalties and we’ll help you sell stuff” strategy. Since then the
“shut the fuck up” ticket links have also started appearing in Canada,
Australia and New Zealand.

Confirming ticket links had now arrived here too, YouTube’s
Artist Partnerships Manager for the UK and Ireland, Roz Mansfield, said
yesterday: “At YouTube, we are focussed on both making music more
accessible to fans and bringing more revenue to artists on the platform,
so are delighted to be fulfilling our promise to bring our successful
ticketing feature to the UK and Ireland”.

“As online viewership and engagement continues to grow”, she
went on, “we want to help artists keep fans updated on their upcoming
shows and sell more tickets. We hope this new feature helps connect fans
with not only the global artists they love, but also will give them a
chance to discover more intimate events with breakthrough local talent”.

All three of YouTube’s UK ticketing partners think the idea is
just swell. Ticketmaster’s Peter Quinlan said “watchword”. Eventbrite’s
Paul Everett chipped in “integrate”. And See Tickets Rob Wilmshurst
shouted “powerful”. None of which tells you much out of context, I
suppose. But rest assured, they all think it’s a swell idea.